A recent article in the Dayton Daily News entitled “6 factors that contribute to the black achievement gap at Dayton schools” promotes the usual well-worn tropes of the black school achievement problem: the teaching material is not relevant to black kids; schools are too segregated; black kids are unfairly disciplined, etc.
Since most of these superficial factors have been bandied about for more than 30 years, one can take issue with the validity of many of the author’s assertions. More importantly, however, is the fact that they still do not identify the the most important root cause as one of the key ‘factors’: the relative lack of a 2-parent family that actively promotes the importance of getting an education.
Ensuring that children get an education is not the sole responsibility of the teachers and administrators. It’s a partnership between the school and the family. When children don’t have parents available to help with that education (helping with homework, reviewing the multiplication tables, etc.) , it’s a challenge to excel in learning. Frankly, this challenge is independent of race, ethnicity, and religion.
If a child doesn’t have someone at home to provide mentorship, it’s like taking a written test blindfolded.
